Restraining joint device

ABSTRACT

A pipe joint is disclosed that includes a housing wherein the housing defines a longitudinal axis and an inside surface, and includes a gripping assembly comprising a first gripping member comprising a first protruberance extending radially inward from an inner surface of the first gripping member, a second gripping member comprising a second protruberance extending radially inward from an inner surface of the second gripping member, and an interconnecting body comprising a resilient material. The interconnecting body connects the first gripping member to the second gripping member, and a clearance is defined between the interconnecting body and the inside surface of the housing. The joint can also include an annular seal positioned axially adjacent to the interconnecting body inside the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/084,013,filed Nov. 19, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to pipe element connections. More specifically,this disclosure relates to pipe joints, pipe couplings, and pipesockets.

BACKGROUND

Pipe elements such as pipes, valves, and meters typically are not madeof one piece. Rather, such pipe elements are typically formed in finitelengths and must be joined. One way of joining such pipe elements isthrough the use of a coupling member. A sealing gasket is typicallydisposed in a coupling void that comprises at least one coupling segmentwhich is thereafter tightened around the pipe elements to be joined.Similarly, pipe sockets may be used to join pipes, including pipeshaving different diameters, or to join a valve or meter to a pipe wherethe end of the valve or meter may have approximately the same outerdiameter as a pipe. When the pipe socket has pipe threads on one end andgripping members on the other end, the pipe socket may have one end witha larger diameter having internal pipe threads for receiving theexternal threads of a pipe, valve, or meter and another end with asmaller diameter for frictionally receiving and retaining a pipeelement. In some cases, the pipe socket may be integral with a valve,meter, pipe, hydrant or other pipe element.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a joint comprising a housing defining a longitudinal axisand an inside surface. The joint can also comprise a gripping assemblycomprising a first gripping member comprising a first protruberanceextending radially inward from an inner surface of the first grippingmember, a second gripping member comprising a second protruberanceextending radially inward from an inner surface of the second grippingmember, and an interconnecting body comprising a resilient material. Theinterconnecting body can connect the first gripping member to the secondgripping member, and a clearance can be defined between theinterconnecting body and the inside surface of the housing.

Also disclosed is a joint comprising a housing defining a longitudinalaxis and a conical surface, and an annular seal contacting the conicalsurface of the housing. The annular seal can comprise a front end and aback end. The joint can also comprise a draw bar assembly comprising aplatform engaging the back end of the annular seal. The draw barassembly can also comprise a draw bar extending from the platform pastthe front end of the annular seal and through the conical surface of thehousing to an exterior of the housing. The draw bar can comprise athreaded end distal from the draw bar, and a nut engaging the threadedend of the draw bar.

Various implementations described in the present disclosure may includeadditional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may notnecessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all suchsystems, methods, features, and advantages be included within thepresent disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The features and components of the following figures are illustrated toemphasize the general principles of the present disclosure and are notnecessarily drawn to scale. Corresponding features and componentsthroughout the figures may be designated by matching referencecharacters for the sake of consistency and clarity.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a housing, seal, gripping members, anddraw members and associated assemblies for providing a joint accordingto a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is cross-sectional view of the joint of FIG. 1 taken along line2-2 thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a gripping assembly of the joint of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the seal and draw-bar assembly of thejoint of FIG. 1 assembled by themselves.

FIG. 5 is an exploded assembly view of the joint of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are alternate front and back perspective views of agripping member of the gripping assembly of the joint of FIG. 1 shown byitself.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are alternate front and back perspective views of a sealof the joint of FIG. 1 shown by itself.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a coupling providing two joints for joiningtwo pipes or pipe elements according to a second embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the joint of FIG. 1 beforeinstallation on pipe elements.

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the joint of FIG. 1 duringinstallation on pipe elements.

FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view of the joint of FIG. 1 afterinstallation on pipe elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed are devices for creating joints between pipe elements andassociated methods, systems, devices, and various apparatus. The jointincludes at least one housing, at least one draw member, and at leastone seal. Housings are adapted to seal pipe elements in a variety ofconfigurations including end-to-end relationship where the pipe elementsare nearly touching or are spaced away, as well as situations where thepipe elements are angled with respect to each other such as beingperpendicular to each other as is the case with right angle fittings orcouplings. When joining two pipe elements, the apparatus actuallyprovides two sockets or housings, each housing forming a joint, one foreach pipe element, and in such a case, the apparatus would be called byone skilled in the art a coupling. Also, the coupling may be used insituations where a plain-end pipe is inserted in one end and a threadedpipe is attached to the other end. Accordingly, the term “joint” as usedherein should be interpreted broadly and should be applied to anyapplication where two pipe elements may be applied and should alsoinclude situations where the joint is formed by a housing that isconnected to or permanently attached to or integral with devices such asvalves, meters, or hydrants for example. While it is particularly usefulin applications for plain-end pipes, it should not be so limited as itcould be used with pipes having grooves or shoulders as well, forexample. It would be understood by one of skill in the art that thedisclosed socket is described in but a few exemplary embodiments amongmany. No particular terminology or description should be considered onthe disclosure or the scope of any claims issuing therefrom.

One embodiment of a joint is disclosed and described in FIGS. 1 and 2.The joint includes a housing 100, sleeve or body that defines alongitudinal axis A and a first end 102 and a second end 104 that arefound or located along the axis. The configuration of the housing 100 issubstantially annular with a radial direction R and also has a varyingprofile when looking at a cross-section taken along a plane that iscoincident with the longitudinal axis A as seen in FIG. 2. The first end102 defines a first aperture 106 and the second end 104 defines a secondaperture 108. The first aperture 106 decreases in size or is taperedlinearly in a direction along the longitudinal axis A going from theinterior of the housing toward its exterior. Situated between the firstaperture 106 and second aperture 108 is a third aperture 110 that is incommunication with both the first and second apertures 106, 108 and thatis defined by the housing 100. The larger end of the first aperture 106is greater in size than the third aperture 110, creating a shoulder as afirst stop surface 112 that is also useful in a manner that will bedescribed later herein. Similarly, the third aperture 110 is larger thanthe second aperture 108, providing another shoulder that defines thethird aperture 110 and functions as a second stop surface 114 that isadvantageous in a manner that will be described later herein forpreventing the pipe element from reaching the second aperture 108.

Specifically focusing on FIG. 2, since the housing 100 is annular inshape, each of the second aperture 108 and third aperture 110 are roundin nature and have an inner diameter D2 and D3, respectively, in theradial direction R that is defined by an associated cylindrical surface116, 118 respectively. Naturally, the first stop surface 112 at the endof the first aperture 106 has an outer edge 120 that is defined by theintersection of the conical wall 119 of the first aperture 106 and thefirst stop surface 112. The first stop surface 112 also has an inneredge 122 that is defined by the intersection of the first stop surface112 and the cylindrical wall 118 of the third aperture 110. Similarly,the second stop surface 114 at the end of the third aperture 110 has anouter edge 124 that is defined by the intersection of the cylindricalsurface 118 of the third aperture 110 and the second stop surface 114.The second stop surface 114 also has an inner edge 126 that is definedby the intersection of the second stop surface 114 and the cylindricalwall 116 of the second aperture 108. The first aperture has a smalldiameter D1 near the outside of the housing 100 and large diameter D1′near the inside of the housing created by the conical shape of theaperture.

These diameters D1, D1′, D2, and D3 and associated cylindrical andconical surfaces 116, 118, 119 can be most clearly seen in FIG. 2. Thetapering or reduction in diameter (D1′ to D1) of the first aperture 106occurs along the entire length of the aperture along the longitudinalaxis A of the housing but it is contemplated that only a portion of theaperture may be decreasing in size. As can be seen, the diameter D1 atthe first end 102 of the joint is smaller than its diameter D1′ adjacentthe third aperture 110 along the longitudinal axis A of the housing 100.Both diameters D1, D1′ of the first aperture 106 are larger than thediameters D2, D3 of the second and third apertures 108, 110 with thesmaller diameter D1 of the first aperture 106 being slightly greaterthan the diameter D3 of the third aperture 110. The diameter D3 of thethird aperture 110 is larger than the diameter D2 of the second aperture108. The relative orientation and sizes of the first aperture 106, thesecond aperture 108, and the third aperture 110 are advantageous for usewith pipe elements in a manner that will be elaborated upon furtherlater herein. For example, in some embodiments, the diameter D3 of thethird aperture 110 is slightly greater than the outer diameter of thepipe element which the third aperture 110 is configured to receive andthe diameter D2 of the second aperture 104 is about the same size as theinside diameter of the pipe element.

The second aperture 108 and the third apertures 108 are shown to havecylindrical surfaces but it is contemplated that these surfaces could beslightly conical as would be the case if draft were provided to aid indemolding when a molding or casting process is used to make the housing100 so these embodiments are contemplated as well to be within thepurview of the present disclosure. Similarly, the first aperture 106creates an undercut in the direction of draw (along axis A) for makingthe aperture, making it difficult to manufacture using a molding orcasting process. However, it is possible to make the first aperture 106by using a collapsible core or lost core molding or castingtechnologies. At the very least, the undercut could be machined afterthe majority of the first aperture was made using a molding or castingprocess.

Returning to FIG. 1, there is a first sloping surface 128 on theexterior of the housing 100 that extends from the first end 102 of thehousing 100 toward the interior of the housing 100 along thelongitudinal axis A and a second sloping surface 130 that extends fromthe second end 104 of the housing 100 toward the interior of the housingalong the longitudinal axis A and terminates at an intersection 132 withthe first sloping surface 128. The first sloping surface 128 is foundadjacent the first aperture 106 and a portion of the third aperture 110(best seen in FIG. 2) while the second sloping surface 130 is foundadjacent the second aperture 108 and a portion of the third aperture110, all in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis A ofthe housing. The function of the sloping surfaces is to generally followthe interior contours of the apertures to help maintain a nominal ortypical wall thickness and to provide draft, desirable when making thehousing using a casting or molding process to avoid manufacturingdefects and to aid in demolding. Surrounding the periphery of the firstaperture 106 found at the first end 102 of the housing 100 is a flange134 that extends away from the housing 100 and that has an annularconfiguration.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the first sloping surface 128 terminates andtransitions into this flange 134 via a blend 136. This flange 134provides a first exterior annular surface 138 that surrounds the firstaperture 106 and provides a load bearing surface that will be used tomove components of the joint as will be described in further detaillater herein. This annular surface is defined by an inner edge 140 thatis defined by the intersection of the inner surface 119 of the firstaperture 106 and the bearing surface 138. This annular surface isfurther defined by an outer edge 142 that is defined by the intersectionof the peripheral surface 144 of the flange 134 and the bearing surface138. A second exterior annular surface 146 is positioned adjacent theopening of the second aperture 108, defining the furthermost extent ofthe housing 100 along the longitudinal axis A in the other direction.The second sloping surface 130 terminates into this second annularsurface 146, defining an outer edge 148 of the second exterior annularsurface 146. An inner edge 150 of the second exterior annular surface146 is defined by the intersection of the cylindrical surface 116 of thesecond aperture 108 and the second exterior annular surface 146 itself.

The flange 134 may be made integral with the housing 100 or may be addedafter the majority of the housing 100 has been made using a casting ormolding process. In such a case, the flange 134 may be welded onto thehousing 100 or attached by other methods or devices known in the artsuch as by the use of fasteners. In any case, the flange 134 should beadded in a manner that keeps any seam or joint away from the aperturesthrough which fluid will flow or those seams or joints should be fluidtight so that the function of the housing to provide a fluid tight jointis not compromised.

While this embodiment of the housing 100 is shown to have a straightlongitudinal axis A, it is contemplated that the axis could curve or beangled such as is the case with a right angle fitting, coupling orsocket. Accordingly, the present disclosure further contemplates theseembodiments as well. Furthermore, the outer configuration of the housing100 need not be annular in nature but could have other shapes as well.Likewise, the tapering of the inside surface of the first aperture neednot be done in a linear fashion as long as it reduces in size along thelongitudinal axis A in either direction along some portion of the firstaperture 106. For example, the inside surface may be reduced going fromthe outside of the housing toward the inside of the housing along thelongitudinal axis instead of the other way around. Also, the relativesizing of the first aperture 106, the second aperture 108, and the thirdaperture 110 may change so that one aperture is not necessarily smalleror larger than another and it is even contemplated that the thirdaperture 110 may be omitted. For example, the first aperture 106 maytransition directly into the second aperture 108. Also, the housing isshown in isolation from a valve or hydrant but it may in manyembodiments be integral with a valve, meter, hydrant or other pipeelement.

Again referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the joint further comprises a seal152, a gripping assembly 160 and a draw-bar assembly 180 (best shown inFIGS. 4 and 5). Looking at the cross-section shown in FIG. 2, it can beseen that the draw-bar assembly 180 comprises a platform 182 made of aring that supports the seal 152 and three draw-bars 184 a, 184 b, 184 cthat are connected to the platform 182 and that extend through holes 101a, 101 b, and 101 c (best seen in FIG. 5) or slots in the housing 100past the first exterior annular surface 138 of the flange 134 adjacentthe first aperture 106 of the housing 100 in a direction parallel to thelongitudinal axis A. In the unassembled or untightened state, theplatform 132 and seal 152 rest on or near the first stop surface 112found at the innermost extent of the first aperture 106. At the sametime, the seal 152 and gripping assembly 160 or portions thereof are inslight contact with the inside surface 119 of the first aperture 106.Only one draw-bar 184 or draw member may be necessary in someembodiments. Similarly, nine gripping members 161 are used in thisembodiment (as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5) but it is contemplated thatmore or less could be provided in other embodiments.

Looking closely at the shape and position of the seal 152 and thegripping assembly 160 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, it can be seen thatthe seal 152 has a generally annular shape that extends a full circle or360 degrees rotation about the longitudinal axis A. The seal 152 alsohas an outside peripheral surface 154 that is angled in a complementaryfashion to the inside surface 119 of the first aperture 106, allowing itto provide an angled sealing plane that is in contact with the housing100 of the joint. The seal 152 further includes an inner sealing surface156 for contacting a pipe element that is placed within the housing 100.In this embodiment, the sealing surface 156 is cylindrical but it couldbe curved any other desired shape. Looking at FIGS. 7A and 7B, the frontsurface 157 and the back surface 158 of the seal 152 are annular inshape and the back surface 158 has a groove 159 for receiving the ringor platform 182 of the draw-bar assembly 180 as will be discussed below.Also, holes 155 a, 155 b, and 155 c are provided for the draw-bars 184to extend through from the ring or platform 182. The “seal” may be madeof rubber, plastic, cork, wood, metal, ceramic, polymer, elastomer,rosin, foam, any combination of the foregoing materials, or any materialsuitable for sealing two pipe elements joined in end-to-endrelationship. It is contemplated that the seal could be any commerciallyavailable O-ring or gasket or could be customized as desired. Anotherpossible modification is that the groove for receiving the platformcould extend radially outward from the platform far enough to allow theseal to slide against the platform as the seal is pushed inwards duringthe camming motion. In fact, the groove 159 could extend all the way tothe camming or slanted surface 154 of the seal 152.

Looking at the gripping assembly 160 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, itcan be seen that this assembly 160 includes a series of gripping members161 that are interconnected by bodies 166 made of resilient material.Each gripping member 161 a thru 161 i has a series of ridges orprotuberances 162 that are found on their inside cylindrical surfaces163 a thru 163 i for contacting the pipe element in a manner that willbe described herein shortly. Alternatively, the gripping member 161 mayhave a rough surface finish or may be configured to engage depressionsfound on the outside of the pipe element for providing the necessarygrip to keep the housing 100 on the pipe element. Each gripping member161 also has an angled or slanted outer periphery surface 164 a thru 164h that is complimentarily-shaped to the inside surface 119 of the firstaperture 106 of the housing 100. The connecting bodies 166 of thegripper assembly 160 are slightly undersized compared to the grippingmembers 161 themselves, providing for clearance C between the housing100 and the connecting bodies 166 allowing them to flex which isadvantageous as will now be described herein. Overall, the gripperassembly 160 forms an annular ring.

As illustrated by FIGS. 6A and 6B in detail, the gripper members 161have surfaces 163 and 164 and protuberances 162 as just described andmay be made from bronze, wearite, steel or another material that caneffectively hold onto the pipe while also be able to slide with anacceptable amount of friction. The interconnecting bodies 166 may bemade from rubber, plastic or other resilient material that allows theflexing of the interconnecting bodies 166 and inward motion of thegripper members 161.

Also, the interconnecting bodies 166 may be made from materials similarto the seal 152 and may be joined to the gripping member 161 by methodsknown in the art including molding an elastomer through a central hole165 found in each of the gripping members 161 so that theinterconnecting bodies 166 form a complete ring about the longitudinalaxis A with the gripping members 161 spaced equidistantly about theperiphery of the housing 100 (best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3). However, itis contemplated that this joining of the gripping members may beaccomplished using other methods known in the art. As mentionedpreviously, the gripper assembly 160 may comprise the gripping members161 and interconnecting bodies 166 forming an annular configuredassembly where each of the front and rear surfaces 167, 168 of grippingmembers 161 is adjacent the front and rear surfaces 169, 170 of theinterconnecting bodies 166. Also, each of the inner circumferentialsurfaces 171 of the interconnecting bodies 166 may be found adjacent thegripping surfaces 163 of the gripping members 161 and each of outerslanted surfaces 172 of the interconnecting bodies 166 may be foundadjacent the slanted cam surface 164 of the gripping members 161.However, the surfaces of the interconnecting bodies may be offset orspaced away (clearance C shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) from the adjacentsurfaces of the gripping members to provide the necessary clearance toallow the flexing of the interconnecting bodies so that the grippingmembers can move as needed for clamping onto a pipe element.

Focusing on FIGS. 1 and 2, the inside conical surface 119 of the firstaperture 106 has two primary purposes. The first is to act as a camsurface that causes the seal 152 and the gripping assembly 160 tocontract their inner diameter as they are drawn via the draw bars 184 a,184 b, 184 c toward the exterior of the housing 100 along thelongitudinal axis A. Specifically, as the draw-bars 184 a, 184 b, 184 care pulled outward along a direction that is parallel to thelongitudinal axis A of the housing 100, the platform 182 moves in thesame direction as it is connected to the draw-bars 184 a, 184 b, 184 c.The platform 182 in turn pushes on the seal 152 that presses on thegripper assembly 160. At the same time, the angled surface 119 of firstaperture 106 pushes on the angled surfaces 154, 164 of the seal 152 andgripping members 161, causing them to move inward along the radialdirection R of the housing 100. The interconnecting bodies 166 of thegripper assembly 160 flex during this process a slight amount, which ispossible due to the clearance provided between the housing of the jointand the connecting bodies as previously described. The second purpose ofthe inside surface 119 is to act as a fluid sealing surface. Since theseal 152 contacts the inside surface 119 of the first aperture 106, itprevents fluid from entering any space found between the housing of thejoint and the seal as such space is effectively eliminated.

During the camming motion of the seal 152 and gripper assembly 160, theprotuberances 162 or ridges of the gripper members 161 contact the outersurface of a pipe element that is placed into the first aperture 106 ofthe housing 100 of the joint, causing the gripper members 161 and thegripping assembly 160 as a whole to grab onto the pipe element. Also,the interior cylindrical surface 156 of the seal 152 is pressed onto theouter surface of the pipe element, preventing any fluid from enteringthe space found between the pipe element and the seal as such space iseffectively eliminated. Thus, an improved seal for use on irregular pipesurfaces due to the positive movement of the seal into contact with thepipe element may be provided. The camming motion in this embodiment iseffectuated by the draw-bars 184 a, 184 b, 184 c that have threaded ends186 a, 186 b, 186 c that extend past the exterior annular surface 138 ofthe flange 134 and have nuts 188 a, 188 b, 188 c attached thereto viatheir internal threads. A wrench may be used to tighten the nuts 188that press on the load bearing surface, causing the draw-bars 184 a, 184b, 184 c and platform 182 to translate, creating the camming motions allas have been previously described herein.

It should be noted that the movement and construction of the draw-barassembly 180, seal 152 and gripper assembly 160 as just described forthis embodiment may be altered for other embodiments of the presentdisclosure. For example, the orientation of the first aperture may bereversed so that the draw-bars extend toward the interior of the housingof the joint and not the exterior of the housing. In such a case, theflange may be located toward the interior of the housing and anotheraperture that is smaller than the larger diameter of the first aperturemay be found at the first end of the housing. Similarly, the seal maynot have an angled surface that contacts or engages the inside surfaceof the first aperture but may have a standard O-ring type configuration.Also, the seal may be a single piece of material or may comprise aplurality of seals. Furthermore, the draw-bar assembly may use somethingother than nuts and threaded draw-bars for the draw members andactuators such as a sliding clamp assembly that holds position usingfriction. In some applications, the draw member may push onto the sealor gripping member instead of pulling on them. Accordingly, the terms“draw” or “drawing” as used herein should be interpreted broadly tocover any motion that forces movement in either direction found alongthe longitudinal axis or in any direction or type of motion thatincludes curved motions that causes a component to move or contact a camsurface.

As shown by FIG. 5, the seal 152, gripper assembly 160 and draw-barassembly 180 made be assembled as follows into the housing 100. Theplatform 182 of the draw bar assembly 180 may be made of spring steeland the draw-bars 184 may be attached thereto via welding or evenintegral with the ring that forms the platform 182. The flexibility ofthe ring could be used to compress it until it can fit within the firstaperture 106 of the housing 100 and be inserted. The angular orientationof the draw-bars 184 and platform 182 about the longitudinal axis A ofthe housing 100 can be such that they initially fit within the slots orholes 101 of the housing 100 that allow them to reach the exterior ofthe housing 100 or this orientation may be achieved after the platform182 has been inserted into the first aperture 106. Then the resilientnature of the seal 152 and the gripper assembly 160 may be used tocompress them and allow them to be inserted into the first aperture 106.As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 7B, there is a groove 159 on the bottomsurface 158 of the seal 152 for receiving the ring of the platform 182,allowing the seal 152 to sit flush with the first stop surface 112 ofthe first aperture 106 of the housing 100.

In other embodiments, the ring or platform 182 may be split intoseparate segments that are each individually attached to a draw member184. In such embodiments, the seal 152 could be molded onto each of thedraw members 184 and platform segments so that the draw assembly andseal are integrated. The resilient nature of the seal and the distanceprovided between each of the platform segments would allow the seal,platform and draw bars to be compressed and inserted into the firstaperture of the housing. Alternatively, the housing 100 could be splitwhere the first aperture 106 meets with the third aperture 110, allowingthe internal components and assemblies to be placed in the housing 100easily before the split housing is assembled in a suitable fashion thatis also fluid tight using methods and devices known in the art asdiscussed elsewhere within the present disclosure.

Other modifications include the fact that the surface or surfaces of thegripper assembly that contact the inside surface of the first aperturemay be may be something other than angled such as curved so that only aline of contact is made between the gripper assembly and the insidesurface of the first aperture. Likewise, the gripper assembly may bereplaced by an essentially single piece of material that has a slit init to allow the reduction of size of the gripper member. For example,the gripper member shown and described by U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,511 to thecommon assignee of the present application, the content of which isincorporated herein for all purposes in its entirety, may be used. Sucha gripping member may extend the majority of a full circle or 360 degreerotation about the longitudinal axis of the joint and have ridges forgripping onto a pipe element.

The operative association between the draw-bar assembly and the seal andthe housing is achieved in this embodiment by having the seal sit on aplatform that is directly tied to the draw member but it is contemplatedthat in other embodiments that this operative association could beachieved in other ways including using a component that is placedbetween the platform or seal and the draw member. Also, the joint mayuse something other than threads and a nut for moving the seal. In someembodiments, it may only be the seal that is moved by the draw member sothat it is drawn into engagement with the inside surface of the housingof the first aperture. Similarly, the operative association between adraw member and the gripper assembly or a single gripping member may beachieved as shown in this embodiment by placing the gripping member onthe seal that is contacted by the platform and attached to the drawmember. However, it is contemplated that a separate draw member may beused in conjunction with the gripping member and that in someembodiments, only one of the gripping member or the seal may beoperatively associated with the draw member for moving either componentinto engagement with the insides surface of the first aperture to draweither the seal or the gripping member into contact with the pipe. Also,the gripping member could be located between the seal and the platforminstead of the other way around.

In embodiments where only the seal is moved by the draw member, thegripping member may ride directly on the cam or inside surface of thefirst aperture so that once a pipe element is inserted the housing,clamping of the grip member is accomplished by pulling on the housing aslight amount in the opposite direction so that the gripping memberbegins to contact the pipe and slide up the cam surface, tightening thegripping members' hold onto the pipe element. Any of the methodsdisclosed herein may have these steps added to them or substituted forthe step of drawing the gripping member into engagement with the cam orinternal surface of the first aperture and into contact with a pipeelement for holding the housing onto a pipe element. It should be notedin any of the embodiments herein that once the gripping member and sealhave been suitably closed upon the pipe element, that hydraulic forcesprovided by any fluid that seeps between the pipe element and thehousing may only provide further force that causes the seal and grippingmember to contact the pipe element even tighter, aiding their respectivefunctions of preventing fluid leaks and disassembly of the joint.

In some embodiments, the draw member extends past an exterior surface ofthe housing but it is contemplated that in other embodiments, the drawmember can be housed entirely within the housing as could be the case ifthe method of moving the draw member was located within the housing. Forexample, the nut or other rotating member such as thumb wheel couldextend partially through a slot found on the housing for moving athreaded shaft for moving the seal or gripping member. Furthermore, aplurality of draw members may be used regardless of whether the drawmember extends past an exterior surface of the joint and in other casesonly a single draw member may be used. In certain embodiments where thedraw member extends past the exterior surface, the exterior surface maybe perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the joint as is the casedescribed above regarding the bearing surface found adjacent the firstaperture.

“Pipe elements” may mean pipes, valves, meters, hydrants or any otherstructure where the connection is suitable to be sealed. The housing ofa joint may be made from iron, other metal such as stainless steel,plastic or any suitable material that provides the strength necessaryfor providing a fluid proof joint. The housing or housings may bemolded, cast, machined or made by any other suitable manufacturingprocess.

In further embodiments such as disclosed in FIG. 8, two housings 100,200 may be used to form a pipe coupling for joining two pipe elements20, 22 such as pipes wherein the second housing 200 has the sameconfiguration as the first housing 110 and is symmetrically arrangedwith respect to the first housing 100 about a plane P that is foundalong the second end 104 of the first housing 100 at the second aperture(not shown). The plane P is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A ofthe coupling. In some embodiments, the coupling would have a straightlongitudinal axis and in other embodiments could be curved, right angledand even U-shaped where the flow of water would be reversed indirection, etc. The configuration of the housings, seals, grippingmember, draw member and their modes of operation could be the same asjust described above with respect to the embodiments contained in FIGS.1 thru 7B or the configurations and modes of operation of each componentor assembly could be different from one side of the plane P to theother. In particular, the coupling may include a second seal (notshown), a second gripping member (not shown) and a second draw member(not shown) that are operatively associated with the second housing 200for drawing the second seal or second gripping member into engagementwith the inside surface (not shown) of the first aperture (not shown) ofthe second housing 200 and into contact with a second pipe element 22that is placed into the coupling.

In some embodiments, the housings would be identical and be made usingthe same material and method of manufacturing. They would then be joinedto each other using methods known in the art for providing a fluid tightseam such as welding or using epoxies, etc. In other embodiments, thehousings would be made from a unitary piece of material such as would bethe case if they were made simultaneously during a casting or moldingprocess. Alternatively, the housings could be machined from a singlepiece of material.

Looking at FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C, an example of how a single housing 100may be used with a single pipe element 20 is shown. Initially as shownby FIG. 9A, the resilient nature of the gripper assembly 160 and seal152 forces both the gripper assembly 160 and the seal 152 into anuntightened or relaxed positioned via the camming action with the insideconical surface 119 of the first aperture 106 that forces both of themtoward the interior of the housing 100 so that they are touching oralmost touching the first stop surface 112 associated with the shoulderfound at the bottom of the first aperture 106. Since the draw-barassembly 180 is in contact with the seal 152 and gripper assembly 160,it is also pushed in a retracted position along the longitudinal axis Aof the housing provided that the nuts 188 are in a loosened positionsuch that the platform 182 can touch or nearly touch the first stopsurface 112. Alternatively, the nuts 188 may be loosened and thedraw-bar assembly may be placed manually in a retracted positionallowing the seal and gripper assembly to assume a retracted positionmore easily using the biasing force of their resilient nature andcamming actions provided by their contact with the inside conicalsurface of the first aperture. Then, a first pipe 20 is inserted intothe first aperture 106, usually until it bottoms out on the second stopsurface 114 found at the bottom of the first aperture 106. Since thediameter D1 of the opening of the first aperture 106 is greater than theouter diameter OD of the pipe element 20 as shown in FIG. 9B, thehousing 100 of the joint can accommodate pipe elements of variousdiameters and/or that are inserted at an angle that may be a result of apipe that is sagging or deflecting under its own weight of because ofmisalignment or eccentricity with another pipe element to which thehousing is to be used for creating a fluid tight joint.

In other words, because the housing or coupling has the uniquetightening ability to adjust for pipes of different diameters, that isto say, because it has multiple tightening positions, it has the abilityto have its gripping members engage the pipe element at different timesto enable a greater degree of deflection of the pipe element if needed.

In fact, in one embodiment a pipe element having a diameter that variesas much as half an inch for a standard diameter or size of a pipeelement can be used with the joint. In certain embodiments, the pipejoint has a plurality of sizes so that different diameters of pipeelements can be accommodated ranging from 3 inches to 24 inches.However, it is contemplated that different sized pipe elements could behandled by other embodiments. Also, because of the biasing of the sealand gripper member into relaxed and open positions, clearance isprovided between the pipe element and the housing allowing ano-interference fit prior to tightening the housing onto the pipeelement, easing installation of the housing onto the pipe element or thepipe element into the coupling. However, it is contemplated that incertain embodiments, such clearance is not necessarily provided.

The thickness of the pipe element 20 is such that it is approximatelyequal to the thickness of the shoulder of the first stop surface 112 inthe radial direction R of the housing 100, which is also approximatelyequal to the difference in the diameters D2 and D3 of the second andthird apertures 108, 110. Consequently, as shown by FIG. 9B, the insidecylindrical surface 21 of the pipe element is essentially coextensivewith the inside cylindrical surface 116 of the second aperture 108 ofthe housing 100. Another pipe element may be inserted into the secondaperture 108 and sealed using methods known in the art such as welds orepoxies that are fluid tight. Otherwise, the inside cylindrical surface116 of the second aperture 108 may be substituted with pipe threads sothat a pipe element such as an externally threaded pipe or pipe nipplecan be attached using the pipe threads to produce a water tight sealbetween the housing or coupling and the second pipe element. In such acase, a hexagonal structure may be provided on the exterior of thecoupling for tightening of the coupling onto the pipe element using awrench or similar tool. On the other hand as depicted by FIG. 9C, thehousing 100 may be attached to the first pipe element 20 using a wrenchto tighten the nuts (not shown), which causes the seal 152 and gripperassembly 160 to ride up on the conical surface 119 and contact the firstpipe element 20, creating a water tight seal and preventing removal ofthe housing from the first pipe element in ways already describedherein.

To be more explicit, the following method for joining or coupling firstand second pipe elements may be used in conjunction with certain of theembodiments of the coupling disclosed herein that comprises thefollowing steps. The method includes obtaining or providing a joint thatincludes a housing that defines a longitudinal axis and that includes afirst end located along the longitudinal axis that defines a firstaperture that is at least partially decreasing in size along thelongitudinal axis. The aperture may be further defined by a surface thatis found inside the housing. The second end of the housing that islocated along the longitudinal axis may define a second aperture. Thecoupling may further include a seal and a gripping member as well asdraw member that is operatively associated with the seal and the housingfor drawing the seal into engagement with the inside surface of thefirst aperture of the housing and into contact with a pipe that isplaced into the coupling. The method may further comprise placing thecoupling onto the first pipe element and drawing the draw member andseal until the seal engages the inner surface of the first aperture ofthe housing and contacts the pipe element.

The method may further comprise obtaining or providing the joint suchthat it includes having a draw member that is in operative associationwith the gripping member. The method may further include drawing thegripping member into engagement with the inside surface of the firstaperture of the housing and into contact with the first pipe. In certainembodiments, the same draw member may be operatively associated withboth the gripping member and the seal and the drawing of the seal andthe gripping member may be performed simultaneously.

In certain embodiments, the method may further include obtaining orproviding a second housing that is similarly configured to the firsthousing, or that is identical to the first housing, such that the secondhousing also has a first aperture with an inside surface. The secondhousing may be attached to the first housing and the coupling mayfurther comprise a second seal, a second gripping member and a seconddraw member. The method may further comprise the steps of slipping thesecond housing of the coupling onto the second pipe element and drawingthe second draw member and second seal until the second seal engages theinner surface of the first aperture of the second housing and contactsthe second pipe element.

In further embodiments, obtaining or providing the coupling may includehaving a draw member in operative association with both the grippingmember and/or the seal. The method may further include drawing thesecond gripping member into engagement with the inside surface of thefirst aperture of the second housing and into contact with the secondpipe element. In certain embodiments, the same draw member may beoperatively associated with both the second gripping member and thesecond seal and the steps for drawing the second seal and the secondgripping member are performed simultaneously.

It should be noted that any of the steps of any of the methods describedherein may be performed in any order or could be performed in sub-stepsthat are done in any order or that are separated in time from each otherby other steps or sub-steps. Similarly, the steps of slipping anycoupling onto any pipe element is to be construed broadly and includesboth situations where the coupling is moved onto the pipe element orwhere the pipe element is moved into the coupling as both effectuate thesame end result, that is to say, the coupling is placed onto the pipeelement after moving one of the components. The same principle should beapplied to any step of any method disclosed herein where there isrelative movements between structural components.

This assembly configuration represents one of many possible assemblyconfigurations. One skilled in the art will understand obviousvariations of this assembly configuration are included within thisdisclosure, including variations of steps, combinations of steps, anddissections of steps, among others. Where materials are chosen for theelements of this assembly—particularly, rubber, metal, and castiron—similar material choices may also be used and would be obvious toone in the art. As previously disclosed, the seal or gasket may be madeof rubber, plastic, cork, wood, metal, ceramic, polymer, elastomer,rosin, foam, any combination of the foregoing materials, or any materialsuitable for sealing two pipe elements joined in any configurationincluding an end-to-end relationship. The housing or housings may bemade of cast iron, steel, aluminum, titanium, copper, brass, variousplastics, polymers, resins, or any material of sufficient strength towithstand the tightening load of the fasteners. Furthermore, thedraw-bar assembly and the gripping assembly are given by way ofnon-limiting example only and it is sufficient in certain embodiments ofthe present disclosure to provide one or more gripping members or one ormore draw members that may or may not be part of a larger assembly.

It should be emphasized that the embodiments described herein are merelypossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Manyvariations and modifications may be made to the described embodiment(s)without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of thepresent disclosure. Further, the scope of the present disclosure isintended to cover any and all combinations and sub-combinations of allelements, features, and aspects discussed above. All such modificationsand variations are intended to be included herein within the scope ofthe present disclosure, and all possible claims to individual aspects orcombinations of elements or steps are intended to be supported by thepresent disclosure.

One should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,”“could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, orotherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intendedto convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments donot include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, suchconditional language is not generally intended to imply that features,elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particularembodiments or that one or more particular embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment.

Various implementations described in the present disclosure may includeadditional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may notnecessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all suchsystems, methods, features, and advantages be included within thepresent disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A joint comprising: a housing defining alongitudinal axis and an inside surface; and a gripping assemblycomprising: a first gripping member comprising a first protruberanceextending radially inward from an inner surface of the first grippingmember, a second gripping member comprising a second protruberanceextending radially inward from an inner surface of the second grippingmember, and an interconnecting body comprising a resilient material, theinterconnecting body connecting the first gripping member to the secondgripping member, a clearance defined between the interconnecting bodyand the inside surface of the housing.
 2. The joint of claim 1, whereinnine first protuberances extend radially inward from the inner surfaceof the first gripping member, and nine second protuberances extendradially inward from the inner surface of the second gripping member. 3.The joint of claim 1, wherein the gripper assembly forms a complete ringabout the longitudinal axis.
 4. The joint of claim 3, wherein the insidesurface of the housing has a first profile and wherein the annular sealdefines an outside peripheral surface with a second profilecomplimentary to the first profile.
 5. The joint of claim 1, wherein:the first gripping member and the second gripping member each comprise afirst end and a second end and define a central hole extending from thefirst end to the second end; and the interconnecting body extends intothe central hole of each of the first gripping member and the secondgripping member.
 6. The joint of claim 1, wherein the gripping assemblycomprises nine gripping members interconnected to one another by nineinterconnecting bodies.
 7. The joint of claim 1, further comprising anannular seal positioned axially adjacent to the gripper assembly.
 8. Thejoint of claim 7, further comprising a draw bar assembly engageable withthe annular seal.
 9. The joint of claim 8, wherein the seal comprises afront end and a back end, and wherein the draw bar assembly comprises: aplatform engaging the back end of the annular seal, a draw bar extendingfrom the platform past the front end of the annular seal and through theinside surface of the housing to an exterior of the housing, the drawbar comprising a threaded end distal from the platform, and a nutengaging the threaded end of the draw bar.
 10. A joint comprising: ahousing defining a longitudinal axis and a conical surface; and anannular seal contacting the conical surface of the housing andcomprising a front end and a back end; and a draw bar assemblycomprising: a platform engaging the back end of the annular seal, a drawbar extending from the platform past the front end of the annular sealand through the conical surface of the housing to an exterior of thehousing, the draw bar comprising a threaded end distal from theplatform, and a nut engaging the threaded end of the draw bar.
 11. Thejoint of claim 10, wherein the back end of the annular seal defines acircumferential groove, and wherein the platform is received in thecircumferential groove.
 12. The joint of claim 11, wherein thecircumferential groove comprises a bottom, an aperture is definedthrough the bottom of the circumferential groove, and the draw barextends through the aperture.
 13. The joint of claim 10, wherein theconical surface of the housing comprises a first profile, and whereinthe annular seal defines an outside peripheral surface with a secondprofile complementary to the first profile.
 14. The joint of claim 10,wherein the housing defines a slot, the annular seal defines an apertureextending from the front end to the back end, and the draw bar extendsthrough the slot and through the aperture.
 15. The joint of claim 10,wherein the draw bar assembly comprises three draw bars.
 16. The jointof claim 15, wherein the platform is split into three separate segments,each segment attached to a respective one of the three draw bars. 17.The joint of claim 10, further comprising a gripping assembly positionedinside the housing axially adjacent to the annular seal.
 18. The jointof claim 17, wherein the gripping assembly comprises: a first grippingmember comprising a first protruberance extending radially inward froman inner surface of the first gripping member, a second gripping membercomprising a second protruberance extending radially inward from aninner surface of the second gripping member, and an interconnecting bodycomprising a resilient material, the interconnecting body connecting thefirst gripping member to the second gripping member, a clearance definedbetween the interconnecting body and the conical surface of the housing.19. The joint of claim 18, wherein nine first protuberances extendradially inward from the inner surface of the first gripping member, andnine second protuberances extend radially inward from the inner surfaceof the second gripping member.
 20. The joint of claim 18, wherein thedraw bar extends through the clearance.